Anonymous wrote:Our experience with Girl Scouts has stunk. The whole program has changed its focus from exploring to education. They do lane activities in a church basement and have to answer questions from their handout. Like reading comprehension questions. It’s so focused on protocol and procedures you can see it’s neofascist roots. I’m completely turned off. I do know some troops are different, but we’re done.

We are one year into it and already tired of it. Reams of material but you can never get any real help. Cookies sales last forever. Not enough outdoor emphasis but a lot of fake girl power BS with pink flowers printed on a hand out.

^^ Agree.

My daughter is a Girl Scout. My son is not a scout.

There are no more Boy Scouts.

It's a dead organization.

There have been a LOT of threads on this, comparing the relative similarities and differences of both programs.

I won't rehash them all here.

But both programs do fundraising. GS has a different model, in that they have basically one product (cookies) that they sell during period a year. The mark-up on the product is minimal and it is a product many people want at that price point, so they do volume sales.

Boy scouts sells many things (wreaths, mulch, etc.) Cub scouts primarily sell one things (popcorn) but there is an enromous markup (at least 5 times over market price) and not many people genuinely want the product at that price point, so they sell a small quantity and mostly through guilt sales and the hard pitch. It's more "donate $15 to cub scouts and you'll get a token 8 oz. bag of caramel corn as a thank you" rather than a genuine sales program because no one would ever really want that product at that price.

So, different models, but pretty much an equal focus on sales.

But, really, don't pick a program based on the fundraising model. There are more important distinctions about each of the programs.

Our experience with Girl Scouts has stunk. The whole program has changed its focus from exploring to education. They do lane activities in a church basement and have to answer questions from their handout. Like reading comprehension questions. It’s so focused on protocol and procedures you can see it’s neofascist roots. I’m completely turned off. I do know some troops are different, but we’re done.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the Safeway this morning a group of girls and their leader were dressed in Boy Scout uniforms and selling books as a fundraiser. I bought a book from them but I am not sure how they differ from Girl Scouts. Anyone know?

Boy Scouts allows girls now, so they'll differ in the same way Boy Scouts differs from Girl Scouts in general. I will say that the incredible focus on cookie sales when my daughter was a GS was very off putting. I don't remember anything similar in BS when I was growing up.

It’s just confusing because the girl scouts are selling a desirable product. You’ll get used to it.

I was a Girl Scout Brownie through Senior. My DS is working on his Eagle Scout rank now. I loved being a GS, but Boy Scouts is the far superior program.

Anonymous wrote:clearly Boy Scouts is struggling with #s.

let's no allow anyone gay
let's not allow any gay leaders

Oh crap - we need money - I know - let's let girls in. They would love to join our exclusive organization.

Letting in gay leaders and boys meant they lost the Catholic and Mormon churches. That is why they started worrying about numbers.

clearly Boy Scouts is struggling with #s.

let's no allow anyone gay
let's not allow any gay leaders

Oh crap - we need money - I know - let's let girls in. They would love to join our exclusive organization.

Anonymous wrote:Don't worry, soon there will be no actual boys in BSA because girls will have made it totally unappealing to them.

Don't worry, soon there will be no actual boys in BSA because girls will have made it totally unappealing to them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the Safeway this morning a group of girls and their leader were dressed in Boy Scout uniforms and selling books as a fundraiser. I bought a book from them but I am not sure how they differ from Girl Scouts. Anyone know?

Boy Scouts allows girls now, so they'll differ in the same way Boy Scouts differs from Girl Scouts in general. I will say that the incredible focus on cookie sales when my daughter was a GS was very off putting. I don't remember anything similar in BS when I was growing up.

but it is the way G.S. has traditionally funded itself. It's wrong to make it a "to-pay" activity. Girl Scouts have done a lot to reach inner city and at risk girls. The cookie sales support this. https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2014/02/03/good-question-where-does-girl-scout-cookie-money-go-2/

The two organizations are not related. They have very different histories and organizing principles. BS recently invited girls to join, but as I understand it girls have their own dens (not co-ed). There have been several threads on whether this is a good idea.

To PP's point, I agree about the cookies but BS does Christmas trees, mulch, wrapping paper, and nuts. When I was in 4-H we sold fudge and candy bars. I think fundraising is unavoidable unless people decide to pay higher dues. I've talked to GS troop leaders who do just that - they are "no cookies" troops - but you have to be careful not to price out less wealthy girls.

Anonymous wrote:At the Safeway this morning a group of girls and their leader were dressed in Boy Scout uniforms and selling books as a fundraiser. I bought a book from them but I am not sure how they differ from Girl Scouts. Anyone know?

Boy Scouts allows girls now, so they'll differ in the same way Boy Scouts differs from Girl Scouts in general. I will say that the incredible focus on cookie sales when my daughter was a GS was very off putting. I don't remember anything similar in BS when I was growing up.

At the Safeway this morning a group of girls and their leader were dressed in Boy Scout uniforms and selling books as a fundraiser. I bought a book from them but I am not sure how they differ from Girl Scouts. Anyone know?